Site factors are the wider environmental and human features of the landscape which influenced the locations of our settlements. Wet-point site - this is located near a fresh source of water such as a river or a spring from the base of a chalk escarpment Example: Back Barrow in Cumbria
Dry-point site - is useful in particularly wet areas. Settlements are usually located on top of a small hill in marshy areas like Ely in Norfolk
Resources - building materials like stone and wood; fuel supply for heating and cooking (wood); food supplies animals and plants
Defence - against surrounding tribes this was sometimes necessary. Good defensive sites may have been within a river meander, with the river giving protection on three sides like Durham. Sometimes settlements were built on hills or steep slopes to give commanding views like Edinburgh
Shelter - in Britain it is an advantage to be sheltered from the strong prevailing south-westerly and cold northerly winds Aspect - the direction a face slopes. A south facing slope will be warmer as this faces the sun.
Nodal Points - this is where several routes meet to create a route centre like York Gap towns - these are settlements which developed in the flat land between two higher pieces of land
Site factors are the wider environmental and human features of the landscape which influenced the locations of our settlements.
Wet-point site - this is located near a fresh source of water such as a river or a spring from the base of a chalk escarpment
Example: Back Barrow in Cumbria
Dry-point site - is useful in particularly wet areas. Settlements are usually located on top of a small hill in marshy areas like Ely in Norfolk
Resources - building materials like stone and wood; fuel supply for heating and cooking (wood); food supplies animals and plants
Defence - against surrounding tribes this was sometimes necessary. Good defensive sites may have been within a river meander, with the river giving protection on three sides like Durham. Sometimes settlements were built on hills or steep slopes to give commanding views like Edinburgh
Aspect - the direction a face slopes. A south facing slope will be warmer as this faces the sun.
Gap towns - these are settlements which developed in the flat land between two higher pieces of land